The Evening Wrap: Mamata announces transfer of funds to 21 lakh unpaid MGNREGS workers

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Saturday announced that her government would transfer funds by February 21 to the bank accounts of 21 lakh MGNREGS workers in the State. The Trinamool Congress supremo, who on February 2 started a 48-hour-dharna in front of the BR Ambedkar statue in the city demanding release of “unpaid dues” from the Centre for various social welfare schemes, also said that she would soon come out with another announcement regarding the unreleased funds for the Awas Yojana. “We do not want to beg from the BJP nor do we want their alms. By February 21, we will transfer money to the bank accounts of 21 lakh workers who did not get the money from the central government even after working for the 100-day work scheme (MGNREGA) in the last three years. This is my first step”, Banerjee announced at the dharna site. “The central government is thinking that they will starve Bengal to death. We will not allow them to succeed in that... Have faith in me... I will try to slowly clear in step by step those funds which are still stuck,” she said. “This fight is for the people who have been deprived. We will continue our fight and not let a single poor person be deprived in Bengal. Till I am alive I will fight for you people”, the Chief Minister said. Banerjee said that her party would go “all out” for the Lok Sabha polls and claimed that if all opposition parties come together then the BJP government in the Centre would surely be toppled. Ten days after consecration of Ram Temple, Bharat Ratna for L.K. Advani Former Deputy Prime Minister L.K. Advani, helmsman of the Ram Rath Yatra that catapulted the movement for the Ram Temple to national prominence, was conferred the Bharat Ratna, India’s highest civilian honour, on Saturday, just ten days after the consecration of that temple in Ayodhya. He was previously awarded the Padma Vibhushan, India’s second highest civilian honour, in 2015. Prime Minister Narendra Modi called Advani after the decision was made and congratulated him. “One of the most respected statesmen of our times, his contribution to the development of India is monumental. His is a life that started from working at the grassroots to serving the nation as our Deputy Prime Minister,” Modi posted on X. The announcement also comes 10 days after socialist leader Karpoori Thakur was accorded the same honour posthumously, completing the circle from the politics of the 1990s, which were dominated by the social justice and Ram Temple movements. Advani released a statement soon afterwards, acknowledging that it was an honour, not just personally but also for his “ideals and principles.” “Ever since I joined the Rashtriya Swayamsewak Sangh (RSS) as its volunteer at the age of 14, I have sought reward in only one thing – in dedicated and selfless service of my beloved country,” he said, adding that he was inspired by the motto “Edam na mama (This life is not mine)“. He remembered, he said, the late senior Jan Sangh leader Deendayal Upadhyaya, the late Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee, and his own late wife Kamala. His 1990 Ram Rath Yatra, which traversed India, whipping up support for a campaign to build a temple on the site of the Babri mosque, led not just to the mosque’s destruction in 1992, but also redefined national politics for decades to come, along with the Mandal Commission’s recommendations. Punjab Governor Banwarilal Purohit resigns; cites personal reasons Punjab Governor Banwarilal Purohit on Saturday tendered his resignation from his position as the State’s Governor, and the Administrator of the Union Territory of Chandigarh. Citing “personal reasons” and “other commitments” for his resignation, Purohit sent a letter to President Droupadi Murmu. His resignation came a day after he had met Union Home Minister Amit Shah. “Due to my personal reasons and certain other commitments, I tender my resignation from the post of the Governor of Punjab and Administrator, Union Territory, Chandigarh. Please accept the same and oblige,” Purohit wrote in his letter. Purohit has been Punjab’s Governor since August 2021. He also served as the Governor of Assam from 2016 to 2017, and the Governor of Tamil Nadu from 2017 to 2021. After the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government was formed in Punjab in 2022, Purohit and Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann remained at loggerheads on numerous occasions over different issues, including on the holding of Assembly sessions and the appointments of Vice-Chancellors. However, last month, during the ‘At Home’ reception on Republic Day, hosted by the Governor, the participation of Mann, who last year gave the customary ‘At Home’ events a miss, was being seen as his attempt to break the ice with the Governor. During his stint the Governor, through his letters, Purohit kept raising issues surrounding the AAP government’s working. He also complained that the Chief Minister had not given a proper and satisfactory reply to his queries on corruption and complaints related to anomalies in the government. Purohit even warned that if the CM did not provide him with replies in accordance with the Constitution, then he would have to send a report to the President of India under Article 356 on the failure of the Constitutional mechanism in the State. The prevalence of the drug menace, illegal mining, and the deteriorating financial position of the State were among the issues Purohit raised. Hemant Soren allowed to participate in trust vote A special court in Ranchi on Saturday allowed former Jharkhand CM Hemant Soren to participate in the trust vote in the State Assembly on February 5. Soren, who was arrested by the Enforcement Directorate on January 31 in a money laundering case, filed a petition before the special PMLA (Prevention of Money Laundering Act) court, seeking permission to participate in the trust vote sought by the new government. He was remanded to ED custody for five days by the court on February 2. Soren pleaded before the court that he is a member of the Assembly and has a right to participate in the special session. “Applicant (Soren) is, therefore, filing the present Application seeking an order from this Hon’ble Court to permit the Applicant to attend the Special Session of the Jharkhand Legislative Assembly and participate in the proceedings of the Floor Test slated for February 5 at 11 AM,” the petition said. The new government led by Champai Soren has sought the floor test to prove its majority in the House. He took over as the Chief Minister after Hemant Soren was arrested. Advocate General Rajeev Ranjan told PTI that the ED vehemently objected to the petition. “We said now the cat is out of the bag, and the purpose of the ED is not to do any investigation but to scuttle the formation of a new government or to bring down the government. They have no business to object to proceedings of the assembly when he is not interfering with the investigation. Therefore, the court has accepted our petition and our petition has been allowed,” he said. In brief A day after Poonam Pandey was declared dead by her team on her official Instagram handle, the actor-model took to social media to say she “faked her death to increase conversation around cervical cancer”. On Friday, a post on Poonam’s official handle said, “This morning is a tough one for us. Deeply saddened to inform you that we have lost our beloved Poonam to cervical cancer.” News reports cited confirmation of her death from her manager. On Saturday, Poonam posted two videos on her Instagram page, saying she is sorry for “causing hysteria.” “I am sorry I caused hurt. My intention? To shock everyone into the conversation we aren’t having enough. Which is cervical cancer. Yes, I faked my death. Extreme, I know, but suddenly we all are talking about cervical cancer,” she said. Evening Wrap will return tomorrow. [logo] The Evening Wrap 03 February 2024 [The Hindu logo] Welcome to the Evening Wrap newsletter, your guide to the day’s biggest stories with concise analysis from The Hindu. [[Arrow]Open in browser]( [[Mail icon]More newsletters]( Mamata announces transfer of funds to 21 lakh unpaid MGNREGS workers by February 21 West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Saturday announced that [her government would transfer funds by February 21 to the bank accounts of 21 lakh MGNREGS workers]( in the State. The Trinamool Congress supremo, who on February 2 started a 48-hour-dharna in front of the BR Ambedkar statue in the city demanding release of “unpaid dues” from the Centre for various social welfare schemes, also said that she would soon come out with another announcement regarding the unreleased funds for the Awas Yojana. “We do not want to beg from the BJP nor do we want their alms. By February 21, we will transfer money to the bank accounts of 21 lakh workers who did not get the money from the central government even after working for the 100-day work scheme (MGNREGA) in the last three years. This is my first step”, Banerjee announced at the dharna site. “The central government is thinking that they will starve Bengal to death. We will not allow them to succeed in that... Have faith in me... I will try to slowly clear in step by step those funds which are still stuck,” she said. “This fight is for the people who have been deprived. We will continue our fight and not let a single poor person be deprived in Bengal. Till I am alive I will fight for you people”, the Chief Minister said. Banerjee said that her party would go “all out” for the Lok Sabha polls and claimed that if all opposition parties come together then the BJP government in the Centre would surely be toppled. Ten days after consecration of Ram Temple, Bharat Ratna for L.K. Advani Former Deputy Prime Minister L.K. Advani, helmsman of the Ram Rath Yatra that catapulted the movement for the Ram Temple to national prominence, was [conferred the Bharat Ratna]( India’s highest civilian honour, on Saturday, just ten days after the consecration of that temple in Ayodhya. He was previously awarded the Padma Vibhushan, India’s second highest civilian honour, in 2015. Prime Minister Narendra Modi called Advani after the decision was made and congratulated him. “One of the most respected statesmen of our times, his contribution to the development of India is monumental. His is a life that started from working at the grassroots to serving the nation as our Deputy Prime Minister,” Modi posted on X. The announcement also comes 10 days after socialist leader Karpoori Thakur was accorded the same honour posthumously, completing the circle from the politics of the 1990s, which were dominated by the social justice and Ram Temple movements. Advani released a statement soon afterwards, acknowledging that it was an honour, not just personally but also for his “ideals and principles.” “Ever since I joined the Rashtriya Swayamsewak Sangh (RSS) as its volunteer at the age of 14, I have sought reward in only one thing – in dedicated and selfless service of my beloved country,” he said, adding that he was inspired by the motto “Edam na mama (This life is not mine)“. He remembered, he said, the late senior Jan Sangh leader Deendayal Upadhyaya, the late Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee, and his own late wife Kamala. His 1990 Ram Rath Yatra, which traversed India, whipping up support for a campaign to build a temple on the site of the Babri mosque, led not just to the mosque’s destruction in 1992, but also redefined national politics for decades to come, along with the Mandal Commission’s recommendations. Punjab Governor Banwarilal Purohit resigns; cites personal reasons Punjab Governor Banwarilal Purohit on Saturday [tendered his resignation]( from his position as the State’s Governor, and the Administrator of the Union Territory of Chandigarh. Citing “personal reasons” and “other commitments” for his resignation, Purohit sent a letter to President Droupadi Murmu. His resignation came a day after he had met Union Home Minister Amit Shah. “Due to my personal reasons and certain other commitments, I tender my resignation from the post of the Governor of Punjab and Administrator, Union Territory, Chandigarh. Please accept the same and oblige,” Purohit wrote in his letter. Purohit has been Punjab’s Governor since August 2021. He also served as the Governor of Assam from 2016 to 2017, and the Governor of Tamil Nadu from 2017 to 2021. After the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government was formed in Punjab in 2022, Purohit and Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann remained at loggerheads on numerous occasions over different issues, including on the holding of Assembly sessions and the appointments of Vice-Chancellors. However, last month, during the ‘At Home’ reception on Republic Day, hosted by the Governor, the participation of Mann, who last year gave the customary ‘At Home’ events a miss, was being seen as his attempt to break the ice with the Governor. During his stint the Governor, through his letters, Purohit kept raising issues surrounding the AAP government’s working. He also complained that the Chief Minister had not given a proper and satisfactory reply to his queries on corruption and complaints related to anomalies in the government. Purohit even warned that if the CM did not provide him with replies in accordance with the Constitution, then he would have to send a report to the President of India under Article 356 on the failure of the Constitutional mechanism in the State. The prevalence of the drug menace, illegal mining, and the deteriorating financial position of the State were among the issues Purohit raised. Hemant Soren allowed to participate in trust vote A special court in Ranchi on Saturday [allowed former Jharkhand CM Hemant Soren to participate in the trust vote]( in the State Assembly on February 5. Soren, who was arrested by the Enforcement Directorate on January 31 in a money laundering case, filed a petition before the special PMLA (Prevention of Money Laundering Act) court, seeking permission to participate in the trust vote sought by the new government. He was remanded to ED custody for five days by the court on February 2. Soren pleaded before the court that he is a member of the Assembly and has a right to participate in the special session. “Applicant (Soren) is, therefore, filing the present Application seeking an order from this Hon’ble Court to permit the Applicant to attend the Special Session of the Jharkhand Legislative Assembly and participate in the proceedings of the Floor Test slated for February 5 at 11 AM,” the petition said. The new government led by Champai Soren has sought the floor test to prove its majority in the House. He took over as the Chief Minister after Hemant Soren was arrested. Advocate General Rajeev Ranjan told PTI that the ED vehemently objected to the petition. “We said now the cat is out of the bag, and the purpose of the ED is not to do any investigation but to scuttle the formation of a new government or to bring down the government. They have no business to object to proceedings of the assembly when he is not interfering with the investigation. Therefore, the court has accepted our petition and our petition has been allowed,” he said. In brief A day after Poonam Pandey was declared dead by her team on her official Instagram handle, the actor-model took to social media to say [she “faked her death]( to increase conversation around cervical cancer”. On Friday, a post on Poonam’s official handle said, “This morning is a tough one for us. Deeply saddened to inform you that we have lost our beloved Poonam to cervical cancer.” News reports cited confirmation of her death from her manager. On Saturday, Poonam posted two videos on her Instagram page, saying she is sorry for “causing hysteria.” “I am sorry I caused hurt. My intention? To shock everyone into the conversation we aren’t having enough. Which is cervical cancer. Yes, I faked my death. Extreme, I know, but suddenly we all are talking about cervical cancer,” she said. Evening Wrap will return tomorrow. 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